大象传媒

In the Russian-occupied regions of eastern Ukraine, Moscow has concluded its discredited referendums.

Ukrainian's President Zelensky's called on the UN Security Council to reject what he called another attempt by Russia to annex his country's territory.

The 大象传媒's Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg explains what Russia is hoping to achieve: 鈥淭hese were not real referendums. They were designed to pave the way to Russian annexation of huge swathes of Ukrainian territory. The question is what happens then. If Ukraine attempts to get back these territories... Russia says it will respond with all means available to it, including potentially nuclear weapons.鈥�

(Pic: A local resident casts a ballot into a mobile ballot box carried by members of an electoral commission in Mariupol, Ukraine; Credit: Reuters)